On the Shelf: What to Read This April

This latest retelling of Pride & Prejudice doesn’t feature any zombies, but it does update Jane Austen’s story, with sharp humor, for the 21st century. Still, thanks to the considerable talents of Sittenfeld, who wrote Prep and The American Wife, the perennially appealing story about love, family and, of course, status feels as fresh as ever.

Guy is the toast of New York. He’s a model who, despite passing—gasp!—30, still seems to catch the eye of everyone he meets. But even the best of luck can run out, as we learn in this page-turner from the beloved and prolific White, whose other works include A Boy’s Own Story and the recent memoir Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris.

This sophomore novel from Rogan, who wrote award-winning The Lifeboat, once again displays a strong, bright voice and an uncompromising command of storytelling. Here, a secretary discovers evidence of a big-deal cover-up at the munitions plant where she works and finds her world turned inside out by the consequences.

Norwich, who’s worked as a writer for magazines including DuJour, has written a smart and touching tale of a woman whose life is given new meaning by a dress. Not just any dress, of course, but an Oscar de la Renta gown that might just makes all of her dreams come true.

“The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss” by Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper

Gloria Vanderbilt has lived 1,000 lives: socialite, actress, designer, business tycoon and artist among them. Now she’s again an author (with help from her son, the journalist Anderson Cooper) in this dual memoir, which offers a poignant look inside the singular relationship of two fascinating people.